Guterres proposes setting up Russia-Ukraine-UN group for efficiency of humanitarian corridors

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has proposed setting up a joint group consisting of the UN, Russia and Ukraine to ensure proper the functioning of humanitarian corridors.

The main task of the UN, as far as Ukraine is concerned, is to improve its humanitarian situation, Guterres said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

Guterres said that at his meeting with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier on Tuesday he had made two proposals. One is to materialize a UN proposal, which was submitted at a meeting with representatives from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Defense Ministry, to clarify the situation regarding the corridors and humanitarian aid, Guterres said.

He drew attention to the cases where Russia announces the creation of a humanitarian corridor, while Ukraine creates one of its own, thus making both unworkable.

So, the UN proposes setting up a humanitarian contact group where the UN, Russia and Ukraine together could discuss the situation so that these corridors can be effective in actual fact, the UN secretary general said.